Hawaiian Airlines' LEGO Legacy: Engineer Recreates Iconic Aircraft for Museum Exhibition

A Hawaiian Airlines engineer has recreated five aircraft that defined the carrier’s 97-year history in LEGO form for an exhibition at the Bishop Museum. The models, created by Ashton Simpkins, include a Boeing 717 whose upcoming retirement gives the display a poignant character of an unplanned farewell.

The project coincides with Hawaiian's fleet and corporate identity being reshaped under the Alaska Air Group following the acquisition that saw both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines merge in 2024. The LEGO models, which exceed 1 million bricks in total, will remain in “Aloha Bricks ’26: Stories of Hawaiʻi” through October 11.

Simpkins spent over 180 hours on each of the five planes, which include a Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker from 1929 and the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Each model required thousands of bricks, with the 787 alone using over 10,000. Simpkins, an engineer who handles aircraft seats, galley appliances, placards, stowage bins, and lighting in Hawaiian maintenance hangars, has a passion for creating things.

'I’ve always been into creating things,' he said. 'Whether it was building train tracks across my floor as a kid or building LEGO models, I’ve always liked figuring out how things work.'